Second-Half Stampede Topples Cowboys

Quarterback Chase Novack (17) avoids Colt defenders on a first-half run. Saturday, October 22: Fulton County’s Cowboys entered Saturday’s matchup with the Woodcock Colts as the number-two seed in the HCPWFL varsity division. The Cowboys had defeated third-seeded Woodcock in the regular season on a rainsoaked Saturday, but little separated the teams. A great game was expected, and the teams did not disappoint.

Woodcock opened the game with a line drive kickoff that deflected off a member of the Cowboy return team before being recovered by the Colts. The Cowboys denied the Colts on this opening drive, then put their offense to work. Following a long pass from Chase Novack to Aaron Schepis, Novack found Schepis again for the first touchdown of the game. Two penalties on the point-after attempt put the Cowboys in a difficult position to convert, but Novack again came through, hitting Dylan Gordon in stride on a post pattern to set the score at 7-0. That lead would hold until halftime.

Woodcock started the second half with the ball and immediately seized momentum. The Colts running attack found legs after the break, and their strong running posted three touchdowns before the Cowboys could find an answer. Trailing 19-7 in the final period, the Cowboys refused to quit.

With just under three minutes to go, Novack found Schepis for a long completion to enter Colt territory. Another Novack-to-Schepis connection placed the ball on the one-yard line, where Novack followed the offensive line into the end zone on a quarterback keeper. The point-after attempt was unsuccessful, but the Cowboys had pulled to within 19-13. The Cowboys made what appeared to be their last ditch effort in attempting an onside kick, but the Colts recovered.

The Cowboys’ day appeared to be lost, but the defense pulled one last rabbit out of its hat. While the Colts attempted to kneel to run out the clock, Gordon jumped a snap to force a fumble, recovered by Fulton County, and giving the Cowboys one last chance with less than one minute in the game. Novack again connected with Schepis to advance the ball into scoring position. Following a spike of the football to stop the clock with eight seconds, Novack lofted a final prayer to the endzone. This one fell into the hands of a Colt defender with two seconds on the clock, securing the 19-13 victory for the Colts. The Colts advance to the HCPWFL Super Bowl against the victor of the Huntingdon Steelers and Juniata Valley Eagles.